South African vs UK Boarding School
Boarding School Life, Education Systems, School Admissions
Comparing South Africa with the UK: Why is the British Boarding School system better for my child? One of the most important decisions a parent
Academic Families works with more than 450 schools throughout the UK, and we have become experts at matching children to the right boarding school for them in order to ensure each student thrives.
We're delighted to present one of our partner schools:
Roedean School in Sussex, England.
“Roedean aims to provide a distinctively academic, high-quality, all-round education, within a caring and friendly community in a wonderful coastal setting.”
All students develop a love for learning at Roedean and are encouraged at all stages to pursue intellectual challenge and their own interests. The school’s annual academic results are evidence of the resilience, curiosity and confidence fostered by Roedean’s approach to academics. The A Level class of 2023 achieved outstanding results including 55.5% A*-A grades, and an incredible 28.2% A* grades. Underlining this calibre, over half of the year-group were awarded at least one A* grade. The numbers taking Humanities subjects and Languages are very healthy, and Roedean students have again been highly successful in STEM subjects, bucking the trend for girls’ schools: 55% of Year 13 took Mathematics, and over 20% took Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology.
Roedean provides an academic springboard which enables students to take up places at top universities, primarily in the UK (although universities in Europe and America are increasingly popular). This year students gained places at Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Southampton, Leeds, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, and Leeds to name a few.
From those learning new games to elite sportswomen, Roedean offers 14 different sports, with girls representing Roedean in over 800 fixtures across the board. Roedean strongly believes that whatever the pupil’s aspirations in sport that her experience should be enjoyable, rewarding, and memorable. The Creative and Performing Arts are at the very core of Roedean’s ethos; the School delights in the girls’ successes on stage, including this year’s productions of the musical Six, Les Miserable and Mary Poppins. There are also further opportunities to perform in music concerts, recitals, and dance showcases.
There are over 150 co-curricular activities available each week from which students can choose. The programme is designed to allow each student to gain the opportunity to develop existing talents as well as discover new ones. These includes opportunities for development in; physical and sporting activities, creativity and self-expression, service within the community, STEM, life-skills, dance, drama, and music performance, thinking beyond the classroom and broadening the understanding of our society and that impact that various issues have.
The Roedean school community is presented by 60% British and 40% international students. Representing students from over 40 countries, the School has a dynamic feel; the girls hear about different experiences and traditions each day, and this helps to develop a strong sense of community and a deep understanding of other cultures and backgrounds.
Roedean provides a robust EAL provision for any student who requires it.
Roedean has 6 Boarding Houses, 4 Main School Houses, each accommodating 50 students and 2 Sixth Form houses accommodating all boarders in Year 12 and 13. In each House there are a variety of spaces where the students can work or relax, play games, or practise the piano. In each of the Houses, there is a main common room, perhaps the symbolic heart of the House, where students can catch up with friends at the end of the day. There is also a TV and a Games Room in each House. Although the students are very well-fed in the main dining room, they are welcome to cook in the pantry kitchen and make tea and hot chocolate in the ‘snug areas’ located in the Houses.
Around 350 girls enjoy the perfect balance of school and boarding life. A large team of pastoral staff look after each girl so that they feel safe and supported. Our junior boarders (Year 7, 8 & 9) enjoy shared bedrooms in separate wings of each house. As this can be the girls’ first experience of boarding, we deliver a bespoke experience which includes a warm and welcoming home away from home, supervised prep, and a vast programme of activities. Boarders in Years 10 and above have single rooms, and our Sixth enjoy their specialised accommodation in single rooms, a short distance from the main school building, giving the opportunity of independence ahead of university and life beyond Roedean.
Every evening of the week, boarders will be encouraged to join in an activity in the common room, whether that might be baking, painting, crafting or quizzes – the whole House gather. There is also a dedicated hour for Prep (younger years) so that the girls can keep on top of their homework. The weekend programme of activities is full and varied – there are off-site activities such as to London or go-karting, and girls can also go into Brighton shopping on the school minibuses (junior boarders are supervised). The Sixth Formers enjoy more freedom as they become increasingly independent, but still retain a strong community feel, with girls gathering every evening at the heart of the Sixth Form boarding house.
You'll probably have many questions about the exciting times that lie ahead. We are here to reassure you and support your decision to educate your child in the UK.
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